BRYAN White Stephen Lavoie for Concert Republic
Local romantic movies and TV series usually aren’t complete without a syrupy theme song that comes swooping in to highlight a kilig moment. And for the pop-culture phenomenon, that is, the kalyeserye—top-billed by the AlDub tandem—it’s “God Gave Me You” by Bryan White.
Such is the star power of Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza that their popularity spilled over a song released in the United States 16 years ago, and ignited enough interest in the American country music artist that not a few die-hards clamored for him to visit the Philippines.
White, surprised and overwhelmed by the newfound success of “God Gave Me You,” obliged. And so, from Nashville, Tennessee, the singer recently flew all the way here—to a rock-star welcome from fans—and held a one-night concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, on the strength of a single hit.
As much as the people adore the song, White couldn’t possibly spend the entirety of the show performing “God Gave Me You.” The 41-year-old singer-songwriter, however, pointed out that “outdoing” the song was never his intention. Instead, he saw the occasion as an opportunity to introduce concertgoers to the rest of his discography.
“‘God Gave Me You’ stands on its own. There’s no pressure,” he told reporters at a media huddle two days prior to his show, mounted by Concert Republic. “The exciting part is that they’re going to hear my other hits, as well as some new tunes.”
White, who has four studio albums to his name, achieved most of his success during the 1990s, with five of his singles peaking at No. 1 in the Billboard country chart: “Someone Else’s Star,” “Rebecca Lyn,” “Sittin’ on Go,” “So Much for Pretending” and “From this Moment On,” a duet with fellow country star, Shania Twain.
He sang most of them. And while many of the people in the audience were likely hearing such songs for the first time that night, they were surprisingly receptive to the music, clapping their hands, as White went about his business onstage.
The audience—composed mostly of teenage girls and middle-aged women—was especially into White’s performance of “Amen” and the soft rock ballad, “I’m Not Supposed to Love You Anymore.”
The venue was far from packed, but the attendance was decent, especially considering that Richards and Mendoza didn’t have any participation in the concert.
From time to time, shrieks of “I love you!”—or “AlDub you!,” rather—pierced through the air, followed by a round of giddy giggles.
Others, meanwhile, seemed to be just as impressed with White’s looks as they were with his music, and they weren’t shy about letting their feelings known.
“You’re absolutely beautiful, every one of you,” said White, who likewise performed a smattering of Christmas songs, covered some Stevie Wonder hits and regaled the crowd with a drum solo.
As expected, everyone went wild when the opening strains of “God Gave Me You” came on—fans made a mad dash for the stage, their phones held aloft to capture the performance.
They sang their hearts out as White made his way down the stage, where a mob of selfie-seekers awaited him.
White did a repeat of the song later on to please the insatiable fans asking for more—and the response it elicited was even more intense!
If there was one thing White has realized from this craze was that everything—as Lola Nidora used to always say—is all about right timing. “We should never underestimate the impact of music and what it can do. The song was a hit in the US, but nothing compared to what it is here right now,” he noted. “Just let God do what he does. Now, here we are, 16 years later. It’s amazing how music travels—and it has its own timing!”